WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Robin Kelly issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in United States v. Castleman that federal law prohibits convicted domestic abusers from possessing guns:

“I applaud the Supreme Court for taking a stand for domestic violence victims in enforcing the federal law that bars domestic abusers from having guns. Keeping guns out of the hands of people who have proven violent and who have a track record of preying on the most vulnerable among us is an important step in stemming the epidemic of gun violence in America.

The ruling today was an important decision in the ongoing fight against domestic violence. That said, there is still much work to do to plug other gaps in federal law that allow dangerous people to obtain firearms. Congress must do more to restrict domestic abusers’ access to guns and to protect victims of domestic violence from being further victimized by gun violence.”

Congresswoman Kelly is sponsor of H.R. 2648, The Keeping Guns from High Risk Individuals Act, which prohibits persons convicted of misdemeanor stalking or domestic violence incidents from purchasing firearms. The bill also prohibits persons convicted of a violent misdemeanor from making a firearm purchase for 10 years, prohibits juveniles convicted of a violent crime from purchasing a firearm until age 25 and prohibits those convicted of two or more crimes involving drugs or alcohol within a three-year period from purchasing a firearm for 10 years.